Review: Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch Triple Grain American Oak 10 Years Old
Johnnie Walker is the latest distillery to get into the experimental whisky game, with master blender Jim Beveridge launching a new series called Blenders’ Batch. Said to number in the hundreds, these experiments have long been “a crucial part of their work, focusing on developing and understanding a vast variety of unconventional flavors that can…
Review: 2015 Cosentino Cigar Old Vine Zinfandel Lodi
Cosentino’s Cigar bottling (not new, but recently given an updated label) is a mighty soft zin, pretty with lots of fresh blueberry and baking spices, but also heavy with floral notes, particularly violets. It’s a nice start, and it’s an easy drinker on these early days of spring, but the body is muddied by overly…
Review: WhistlePig FarmStock Rye Whiskey Crop 001
Like many craft distilleries, WhistlePig has been selling other people’s whiskey while it gets its own operation up to snuff. In fact, WhistlePig isn’t just making its own spirit, it’s growing its own grain and even making its own barrels from trees grown on its own land. Even the water is from WhistlePig’s own well.…
Review: Peach Street Distillers Tub Gin
Peach Street Distillers in Palisade, Colorado is well known for its whiskey, but it also makes a complement of gins, including this limited edition expression called Tub. The gin is hopped and includes “plum spirits,” but otherwise the company keeps the botanical bill and production information close to the vest on this one. The hops are…
Review: Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey 16 Years Old
R. J. Cooper and Son is the company behind St. Germain, Creme Yvette, and Lock Stock & Barrel whiskey, a 16 year old whiskey sourced from Alberta Distillery and crafted from a mashbill of 100% rye that is pot-distilled. This is actually the second release of Lock Stock & Barrel, following a 13 year old release…
Review: 2015 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc
You’ll have to check the back label for the details, but Illumination is a white wine made at Quintessa, which is best known as a cult producer of red wine. Here, however, is a white from the property, blended from 39% Sauvignon Blanc Musqué (a particularly aromatic clone of Sauvignon Blanc), 48% Sauvignon Blanc, and 13% Semillon.…
Review: Templeton Rye Special Reserve 10 Years Old (2017)
Templeton continues to build a name for itself with its 95% rye expression, sourced from Indiana’s MGP and bottled in Iowa, and to celebrate 10 years in business the company is introducing a limited edition 10 year old “special reserve” rye. 34 barrels were turned out to fill 6,080 bottles, each hand-numbered and boxed. (A…
Review: 2014 St. Francis Merlot Sonoma Valley Reserve
Don’t let them tell you that merlot is dead. St. Francis’s 2014 Sonoma Valley bottling is loaded with character, starting with floral aromatics and, on the palate, gentle leather and tobacco notes. After a slug of modest tannin the wine bursts forth with blackberry and rhubarb character before revealing some lingering coffee notes on the…
